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to Bishop David's blog. Here you can find news, information, articles and pictures about the Church of England Diocese in Europe. We have over 300 congregations or worship centres serving Anglican and (mostly) English-speaking people in Europe, Morocco, Turkey, Russia and some central Asian countries.

Thursday, 17 October 2013

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its report at the end of last month. This report which is the most comprehensive, authoritative report on this subject runs to over 1,000,000 words, was compiled by over 600 scientists and peer-reviewed by over 9,000 researchers. The report has a devastatingly clear and urgent message:

It’s likely that the world will exceed two degrees global temperature rise by the end of this century. Two degrees is the internationally recognised danger limit - even this level will cause much suffering.

Sea levels will probably rise by between 40cm and 63cm by the end of the century. They have already risen by 20cm since 1971.

Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850 and in the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years.

Our own Diocesan Environmental Officer, Madeleine Holmes, (pictured above with Chairman of our Diocesan Mission and Public Affairs Unite, Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd) has written about this important new report in her latest newsletter. Writing to the clergy and people of the diocese, Madeleine says, "I hope we will all consider speaking and writing about climate change in the light of the report. This is an area where society is looking for leaders, and the Church can give that lead". There is no time to waste, as Madeleine underlines in her newsletter, "We really do need to take action and be responsible
in the light of this Report, as time passes all too quickly.We must think of future generations and how
they will view our attitudes if they are left with a neglected and damaged
world".

I encourage members of the diocese to read and distribute Madeleine's newsletter in your churches. It can be found below (click on read more):

Environment Newsletter for the Diocese
in Europe – October/November 2013

Urgent News of Climate Change

From the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Scientists Report

Made public on Friday 27th
September 2013

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Our Newsletter
is reporting on the important document released in September, which is of great
importance. The Bishops, Paul Needle (Communications
Officer) and I received full details via Tearfund and I wish to share some of
those details with you.

This report is
hugely important, there is no doubt.

Scientists now
have 95% certainty that climate change is real, rapid, and mainly caused by
human activity. The risks of doing nothing are huge, for the world’s poorest
people and for the environment they, and we, depend on, and which matters for
its own sake too.

I hope we will
all consider speaking and writing about climate change in the light of the
report. This is an area where society is looking for leaders, and the church
can give that lead.

I hope we will
also pray for governments, churches, and the public to notice the report and to
take it seriously.

We remind
ourselves that Tearfund and other charities work on climate change because it
hurts the poor communities they serve, and the churches they work with, in
Africa, Asia and Latin America. There are many stories like this one from a
farmer in Nepal named Ram Chandra Budathoki, ‘Now it rains a lot when it used
to be dry and it is dry when it used to rain. This changes the harvest patterns
for crops such as rice. Our harvests have decreased because of drought. This
means we will be short of food.’

Ironically, it
is largely the overconsumption of rich people that has caused the problem, but
the poorest who did least to cause it who are feeling the impact.

We really do need to take action and be responsible
in the light of this Report, as time passes all too quickly. We must think of future generations and how
they will view our attitudes if they are left with a neglected and damaged
world.

You may well be encouraged and interested in what
the other 43 Diocese are doing and how eco congregations are forming to lead
our communities in caring for God’s Creation.
Go to: Christian Ecology Link www.greenchristian.org.uk

If you have anything you wish to share which will
help us all to be efficient in action on our website, in our European Anglican
Magazine or as a News Flash, please contact madeleine@peladis.plus.com or paulneedle@aol.com

Meanwhile I send prayers for all the work that you
do and will be in touch again towards the end of November…..

1 comment:

Together in prayer, dear brothers, friends, for the health of our planet, and for all.

Let us pray too for the peace in the Holy Land, Syria, Middle East; in much of Africa; in the world.

Let us also pray for the situation of world crisis and a more ecumenical, Interfaith, dialectical solidarity in communion of love and respect human, ethical. On grace and faith, by a generous and free, grateful, compassion, and love among all, for peace.

"Abrazos" and blessings of Salvador Arce, SEUT Faculty of theology, and the Mission in Collado Villalba and El Escorial, "Sierra" de Madrid.

About me

Burmese-Scottish, educated in Canada. Former priest in Niagara Diocese, Anglican C. of Canada’s Mission Co-ordinator for Latin America & the Caribbean, and Anglican Communion's Director of Ecumenical Affairs & Studies. Bishop since 2002. IARCCUM co-chairman. My wife Dr Colleen Hamid is a medical researcher. We have two sons, Jonathan and Michael. My office is in that great European city called London